19:50-1 Instructional sessions for district board members.

19:50-1. a. Within 30 days before each election, the county board of elections shall cause new members of the district boards who are to serve in election districts to be instructed in the conduct of elections, and in their duties in connection therewith. All district board members shall be required to attend said instructional sessions for each election at least once every two years. The county board of elections shall cause to be given to each member of each district board who has received such instruction and is fully qualified to properly conduct the election, a certificate to that effect. For the purpose of giving such instruction the county board of elections shall call such meeting or meetings of the district boards as shall be necessary. The content of said meeting or meetings shall be limited solely to the instruction of district board members; lobbying or the advancement of political ends shall be prohibited. The members of the district board of each election district shall attend such meeting or meetings as shall be called for the purpose of receiving such instruction concerning their duties as shall be necessary for the proper conduct of the election. No member of any district board shall serve in any election unless he shall have received such instruction as herein provided and is fully qualified to perform the duties in connection with the election, and has received a certificate to that effect from the county board of elections; but this shall not prevent the appointment of a person as a member of the district board to fill a vacancy in an emergency, as now provided by law. In addition to the foregoing, the county board of elections shall design, prepare and distribute training manuals for district board members, pursuant to guidelines established by the Attorney General. The county board of elections shall also make the training manual available on its Internet site and on the Internet site of the Division of Elections in the Department of Law and Public Safety.

b. The Attorney General shall establish guidelines for the design of training manuals for members of district boards of election, and shall design, prepare and distribute training manuals for members of county boards of election, and county clerks. The Attorney General shall also make training manuals available on the Internet site of the Division of Elections.

Amended 1945, c.56, s.5; 1947, c.78; 1987, c.151, s.3; 2005, c.151, s.2.